Monster’s diary

[Truffle Monster]

[QUOTE="Running has to be a lot harder on the feet and joints than cycling, why are you pushing the running? You seem to be doing so well with the cycling.[/QUOTE]

Hey Rob, your right running is MUCH harder on the joints. In fact my last run left me with a very sore bridge on my right foot but I’m pushing running for a few reasons:
1/ it works muscles in a different way to cycling. When cycling the muscles are worked while contracting where as running is mainly extending
2/ I want to prove myself wrong. I’ve always said I’m rubbish at running any great distance. When I was in high school I was a fantastic sprinter but anything over 400m just left me for dead and I think I’ve held onto that mentality.
3/ I wear glasses and cycling in the rain is very problematic even with a skipped cycling cap. I get blinded and it gets dangerous
4/ I get bored doing one thing. I’m currently doing both running and cycling. I’ll need to run tonight because my bike is at the shop getting serviced.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Just knocked off work early to get home and make dinner. My partner is coming to my place for dinner tonight so I was making a risotto and a crusty bread. The dough has been proofing all day and should be ready to bake in a couple of hours BUT I just tried to light the stove to get the stock started and ... out of gas!

I’ve ordered a new bottle but it won’t arrive until Monday. In the meantime I’ve got to try cook a risotto and a loaf of bread on the BBQ. luckily I’m a little old lady at heart and have a good selection of cast iron cookware so fingers crossed the Dutch oven will work alright on top of the bbq.

In other news just had a good return to resistance training after a break with that pesky sore shoulder. No pain whatsoever so going great guns!

 

[Cate]

luckily I’m a little old lady at heart

Oh, TM
Sexist!
Hope your dinner goes well. You do love a challenge

 

[Truffle Monster]

Oh, TM
Sexist!
Hope your dinner goes well. You do love a challenge

Hahaha.

I like my cast iron, floral cushions and doilies. Not what you expected?

 

[Cate]

I haven't any pre-conceived ideas really & nothing much surprises me. I am allergic to the word lady & I hate(?) doilies & floral cushions. I am so not girlie or lady-like. I do like cast-iron though & hardware stores & chunky, earthy stuff. I am thoroughly spoiled not having to cook. I feel sorry for people who are still tangled up in their ancient ideas of gender roles. Enjoy your night, TM xo

 

[Truffle Monster]

I haven't any pre-conceived ideas really & nothing much surprises me. I am allergic to the word lady & I hate(?) doilies & floral cushions. I am so not girlie or lady-like. I do like cast-iron though & hardware stores & chunky, earthy stuff. I am thoroughly spoiled not having to cook. I feel sorry for people who are still tangled up in their ancient ideas of gender roles. Enjoy your night, TM xo

To a certain degree I think gender roles still have SOME relevance in today’s society IF it suits the people(s) involved. I think there are some things a child can really only learn from a mother and some things they can only learn from a father etc. In the corporate/professional world while I 100% support equal opportunity there are some roles that are just better suited to men or women. For example I always feel more comfortable with female doctors because they tend to be more nurturing and less matter of fact however in an emergency if I needed the police I’d feel more comfortable with a male because they tend to be the opposite and would potentially be faster to act when needed. I certainly don’t fit into the typical “man” role. While I do work full time and I keep the car running and do repairs around the house I also do the cleaning at my house AND my partners (she HATES cleaning) and I really enjoy cooking. I also just happen to like the look of and feel comfortable in the kind of lounge room my grandmother kept.

 

[Cate]

I do think it has a lot to do with what we are used to. I also don't think equal opportunity exists in many places including our country. I'm glad you support it, but I fear it's a long, long way off.

 

[Trusylver]

To a certain degree I think gender roles still have SOME relevance in today’s society IF it suits the people(s) involved.

I agree, men still need to have the opportunity to be men and not be pushed to be overly feminine. There is nothing wrong with men who admire beauty and more delicate pursuits but they should not be expected to give up their masculinity to do so unless they wish to.

 

[Truffle Monster]

I agree, men still need to have the opportunity to be men and not be pushed to be overly feminine. There is nothing wrong with men who admire beauty and more delicate pursuits but they should not be expected to give up their masculinity to do so unless they wish to.

Exactly. The same goes the other way too.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Here’s a question ... off topic but I’m mad now so I don’t care. why do the make bandaids so hard to open when you’ve cut your thumb? I just struggled for 10 minutes. Now I’ve got more blood on my floor than I would if I had just wrapped paper towel around it!

 

[Cate]

I have had the same trouble in the last week! Bandaids have become almost impossible to open!

 

[Llama]

I don't need them often so I can't speak to recent changes but I usually keep the bleeding hand up as high as I can, then open the packaging overhead as well. That's normally enough (for my cut level) to avoid blood dripping/running everywhere.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Well that was an interesting ride. Got home from work, picked up my newly serviced bike and headed out on a different route through the hills.

It seems all the angry arrogant motorists were following me. I nearly got knocked off my bike 4 times by people passing WAY to close. One was towing a camper and came within 2 feet of me rushing to get past on a winding downhill section despite me doing 57km/h in a 60 zone! Got abused once and was left wondering whether or not I was the last intelligent life form on this planet countless times!

I’m home now and about to head down to my fathers for dinner.

Only a short ride but 1/2 of it was climbing uphill. I didn’t exactly light the strava leaderboard on fire but that’s ok. I enjoyed climbing the hills all the same.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Not a very exciting day today but I took a stroll up mount lofty with a friend of mine this morning. This bloke is trying to get back into shape and was dreading the climb but he did really well considering it’s only his second ever time up the hill.

Other than that I’ve been doing a lot of housework. My house is all nice and clean and polished once again. It kinda got away from me but all is well in the world again.

I’m going to have to get on the bike tomorrow or Tuesday. I’ve signed up for another gran fondo challenge on strava so I need a 100km ride. My challenges this month are: 100km ride, 5km run and 10km run. Not hard but it helps to keep the goals there.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Cycling really isn’t a pretty sport. I knocked off work early this afternoon so took the opportunity to go for a long ride while we’re getting some good weather. It’s due to start raining again tomorrow. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride but holy hell it was hard on the legs!

Tonight I was abused by 2 drivers for absolutely no reason other than riding a bike, cut off by not 1 but 2 pedestrians, threatened by a drunk (who profusely apologised and thanked me for “pulling (him) up” when I confronted him and chased by a dog BUT that’s my August gran fondo in the bag.

I thought I’d challenge myself and include a big climb in the 100 tonight so I went up Yorktown road and through one tree hill to Gawler. Not an easy climb and certainly not the ideal start to a long ride but I’m glad I did it. The only bad bit was (thanks google for mapping this out) a 500m stretch of gravel, heavily corrugated road. That was fun hitting it in the dark at 30km/h!

 

[Cate]

I really don't think I could ever understand why so many people seem to get their knickers in a twist over cyclists. It makes absolutely no sense to me!
Well done, TM on surviving & conquering your personal challenges!

 

[aiminglow]

... The only bad bit was (thanks google for mapping this out) a 500m stretch of gravel, heavily corrugated road. That was fun hitting it in the dark at 30km/h!...[/ATTACH]

Do I detect a note (in bold) of sarcasm?
I hope you got through with no ill effects! The last time I took a spill from a bicycle was on unexpected gravel, turning a corner - but if you were going straight I guess the corrugations in the dark would be worse.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Do I detect a note (in bold) of sarcasm?
I hope you got through with no ill effects! The last time I took a spill from a bicycle was on unexpected gravel, turning a corner - but if you were going straight I guess the corrugations in the dark would be worse.

Maybe a little more than just a “note” of sarcasm hahaha.

Got through unscathed. Luckily when I turned onto the road it was bitumen. I was going straight when the gravel started so I hit the corrugations dead on. Just a very uncomfortable ride and I’m sure I would have been talking in a high pitched voice had I had anyone to talk to!

 

[Truffle Monster]

I really don't think I could ever understand why so many people seem to get their knickers in a twist over cyclists. It makes absolutely no sense to me!
Well done, TM on surviving & conquering your personal challenges!

Neither do I. I get the frustration if you’re driving and stuck behind a slow cyclist but that’s very very rarely the case with me and when I do have to take the lane I move over the very second I can and let people past.

A message to any drivers out there who think we’re selfish and like to take the lane just because we can ... there is not a cyclist alive who WANTS a car behind them. It’s really quite unnerving when you can hear an engine just behind you. We want you to pass but we won’t run ourselves into the gutter or loose gravel on the side just to save you 10 seconds ...

 

[Truffle Monster]

After yesterday’s ride I thought it best to remove the chain and give it a really good degrease so I had it soaking in turps all night and day while I was at work, got home and rinsed it off. Very nice and clean now but I’m waiting for it to dry before reinstalling and re-lubing it so it’s out of action for a couple of days.

With this and the forecast rain in mind I went for a jog. I thought about doing the long route but decided against it due to pain in the arch of my right foot. I’m going to have to get a proper shoe fit done I think because if I keep running like this I’ll put myself out of action before the city to bay.

Anyway enough dribbling. Feeling good now. I’ll rest a little bit and hit the weights in half an hour or so.